The country has been left stunned by the murder of a kindergarten teacher whose estranged husband slit her throat in front of her class. In another case, the boyfriend of a 14-year-old girl is accused of beating her to death for becoming pregnant.

Another woman whose boyfriend stabbed her to death in broad daylight in a Buenos Aires cafe has also caused outrage.

Anti-violence campaigners say 277 women in Argentina were killed last year through domestic violence, despite the country passing a law punishing femicide with life in jail.

Sixteen Latin American countries have written femicide into their penal codes, establishing harsher punishments for the killing of a woman by a man when gender plays a part in the crime.

Activists say a 2009 law cracking down on violence against women has not been effectively implemented.

Wednesday's rallies were backed by rights groups, unions, political parties and the Catholic Church.